Printing telegraph apparatus



y 1946. p. P. NEEDHAM ETAL 2,403,295

PRINTING TELEGRAPH APPARATUS Filed July 17. 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1

INVENTORS AND DONALD P. NEEDHAM JACQUES STUSSI gfxTToRi July 2, 1 946.

D. P. NEEDHAM ETAL PRINTI NG TELEGRAPH APPARATUS Filed m 17, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n2 JINVENTORS AND DONALD P. NEEDHAM I JACQUES STUSSI aw w;

ATTORNEY,

Patented July 2, 1946 4 UNITED STATES PArsurorr-lcs PRINTING TELEGRAPH APPARATUS Donald P. Needham and Jacques Stussi, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Teletype Corporation, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Delaware v v Application July 17, 1940, Serial No. 345,906

2 Claims.

This invention relates to printing telegraph ap paratus and more particularly to platen arrangements therefor.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for adjusting the operative relationship between a platen and the printing elements of a printing apparatus.

Specifically, the aligning mechanism according to the present invention is especially adapted for use with a disc type platen'which is movable across the page for line printing, the page material remaining stationary in the character spacing direction. In the embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, the platen is described as employed with a page printer of the type shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,904,164, which in turn is used in a projection system of the type shown in copending application Serial No. 346,004, filed July 1'7, 1940, by W. J. Zenner.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a side view and partial section of the printer-projector mechanism shown in the aforementioned co-pending application;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the printer platen and platen frame;

' Fig. 3 is a viewtaken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a top view of the part of the printer mechanism shown in Figs. 2 and 3; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side view of a type bar head.

Having reference to Fig. 1, a page printer of the type shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,904,164, and indicated generally as H, has been modified in certain respects to adapt it for use with the projector system shown in the aforementioned copending application. The page printer H comprises side frame l2 and I3 to which is pivoted at M a platen frame, indicated generally as I5. The usual cylindrical form of platen has been dispensed with in the present embodiment of the invention and has been substituted by the disc form of platen Hi, to which the present invention is particularly adapted.

To provide a running account of the message bar l9, which is pivoted at 2| and normally biased clockwise by a spring 22, to maintain the page material stretched taut between the roller [9 and a flanged cylindrical guide 23, which is carried on a'shaft 24 journaled in the plates 25 depending from side frames l2 and I3. The strip I1 is then directed over a roller 26 to which is fixed a ratchet wheel 21, the ratchet wheel and roller being carried on a shaft 28 journaled in the plates 25. Cooperating with the roller 26 is a pressure roller 29 which-is carried on a standard 3| secured to a rock shaft 32. Pressure roller 29 is drawn into pressing relation with. roller 26.

by means of a spring 33. Associated with ratchet 21 is a pawl (not shown) which is connected to the web controlling mechanism of the printer II as described in the aforementioned patent.

. Thus, in response to a predetermined selection, a function lever similar to function lever 34 is selected to raise the forward end of a push-bar similar to push bar 35 upwardly into the path of the function bail blade 36. Then, when the push rod (similar to push rod 35) of the web controlling mechanism is actuated leftwardly by the function bail 9|, the pawl associated with the ratchet 21 is actuated in such a manner as to impart clockwise rotation to the ratchet 21. In this manner, the ratchet wheel 21 is rotated clockwise one step which, through the cooperation of pressure rollers 26 and 29, acts in cooperation with the web pulling mechanism to deliver a predetermined amount of record material from the supply roll The record material I1, as it is delivered'from the supply roll [8, is brought to the printing position by means of a web pulling or drawing mechanism, indicated generally as 31. The, rec- 0rd material I! as it leaves roller 26 is directed around guide rods 38, 39, and 4L, These guide rods may take the form of a fixed rod, carrying guide rollers to eliminate friction. guide rod 4| the record material I! is directed vertically through the printing zone and projection field to a guide rod 42 carried by a .U-shaped shifting frame member 43,pivotally.carried on pivot 44, which is suitably Journaledin the frame of the projection apparatus. The page material H is then directed around a guide rod45 carried in support 46 depending from bars 41 secured to angle iron cross bars 48 and 49 of the projection frame. From thence, the page material I! is directed around a spindle 5| fixed to a shaft 52 journaled in standards 53 supported on said bars The shaft 52 is interconnected through a fric- From the tion clutch (not shown) having individual springs 1|.

with a pulley 54. Continuous counterclockwise rotation is imparted to pulley 54 through'the instrumentality of a belt 55 connected to a pulley 56 operatively carried on the main operatingshaft 51 of the page printing apparatus. The shaft 51 is driven by a motor (not shown) "which, through belt 55 and pulley 54, imparts a constant torque (through a friction clutch on shaft 52) to the spindle 5|. With this arrangement, the page material is maintained in a taut condition between the spindle 5| and the roller 26. Thus, when, the ratchet 2! is rotated one step, through the instrumentality of the Web controllingcmechanisni of the printer, a predetermined amount of the pag material I! is delivered from the supply roll l8, which material is immediately taken up by the spindle 5| to preserve the taut condition of the page material.

As disclosed in the aforementioned Patent No. 1,904,164, the: page printer I is controlled telegraphically by a selector magnet 6 I, which is conheated in a signal line (not shown) on which are impressed code combinations of signaling impulses. The code signals control, through a sword andjT=type selector (not here shown, but illustrated and described in said patent), a series of selector vanes. 62, which in turncontrols, through a ser-i's of bell cranks 66, a set of curved code bars Code bars 63 and bell cranks 66 are sup ported ona movable type carriage, indicated-gen erally by 'the numeral 64, which is-provided with 4 bail cam 92, and arm 9| carries on its end the function bail blade 36. Associated with the selector vanes 62 are a plu rality of function levers 34 which are'mounted on a pivot rod 93 and are provided with individual springs 94 which tend. to rotate the function levers 34 clockwise into registry with the selector vanes 62. The function levers 34- are normally held out of engagement with the selector vanes 62 by means of the rod 88 of the function lever ball.

' frames H and I3; The platen l6 comprises a cirunpacks-e1, and 68, respectively,positioned between the side frames l2 and I3. Cooperating with-code bars scare a plurality of pull bars 69 Code bars 69 are operativel'y connected by rack and pinion connec tions to a'ccr'respcnding plurality of type bars 12 pivotedon a shaft 13. iiType carriage 64 is also provided with a spacing rackld'which cooperates with a spacing mecha- (not shown) similar to that illustrated in Patent Nc ..1;904,164, to controlthe movement of type carriage 64 toform'character spaces, tending-in'this' movement to windu'p'a carriage re-' turn'sprlng mechanism (not shown). U on receipt of the carria e return signal, the Carriage 641 is permitted, due to the energy stored in the carriage return spring, to return the type carriage 64 to itsncrmal or b'ginnin'g-oflfihe position, in a well-known manner. A pull bar bail 15 is mounted in the type carriage 64 and is provided with a roller l6: c'arried'on a stildJ-I on the bottom side thereof. Roller 16 operates between a pair of blades and "I?! ofth'e main printing bail 8| so that bail 15'can b'e'reciproc'ated by bail 8| in any position of the type carriage 64 during the printing of the line. baili'fll is one end of a printing spring 82, the other "end of which is connected to a printing blowfladjustinent I means, as shown in Patent No. 904,164: Bail 8| i's'nl'ounted on a shaft 83 on whichris also carried "a printing bail actuator whichicoo-perates with a printing cam 85." Actuator 8||:carrie'sat the end of its upper arm a stud 86? which has; abutting relation only with printvingzbail Bi and is not permanently connected thereto; the'purpose of which, as will hereinafter 'lAls'o earned on shaft as is a function bail com prising arms 89 and 9|. Am 8 9 is provided with a follower roller whicncddperates with" a func'tion Fastened to the printing 61112.1 disc which-is rotatably mounted on a carriage ,'wliich i's slidable on rods 96 and 91 carried by the platen frame l5. Platen carriage 95 is connected to the type carriage 64, as will be presently described, so as to be movable therewith, the effective printing edge of the platen 16 being located coincident with the printing point or zone determined by the path of operation of the type bar '52. Aswill also presently appear, an adjustingmeans is provided to vary the distance between the periphery of the platen l6" and the printing material IT, as well as to align the printing point properly and accurately withthe type faces. l

The platen frame 15' is adapted to be rocked from the letters or unshift position to the figures or shift position in themannerfully set forth in the aforementioned Patent No. 1,904,-

164. Briefly, the side frame of the platen frame i5 is provided with a lug |0| whichyoperates be= tween'two adjustable stops I62 and I63. Adjacent to lug ||l| there is pivoted to the side frame of the platen frame |5 on pivot I54 (Fig. 1), the upper end of a link"|05,' the lower end of which is pivoted to the horizontal arm of a bell crank lever lfifilpi'votally mounted at I01. To the lower end jof'th'e depending arm of bell crank N16 is connected a'pushbar 35', the free-end of which overlies a leftwardly directed arm of the function lever 34; 'Push bar 35 is also provided with a shoulder I68 which cooperates with the function bail blade 36.;

The platen frame l5 and platen I6 are shown in the letters or 'un'shift position in Figs. 1 and 2 with the stop lug Hi1 against the upper stop screw H32. This condition is achieved when the function bail blade 36 has operated upon the shoulder I06 to move the push bar '35 leftwardly to rotate the bell icrank |66=clockwise, thus raising the link N15 to cause the platen frame 15 to rock clockwise. A similar'construction is provided for the figures or il'nshift mechanism. That is, an unshift function lever (similar to lever 34) is provided which, when selected, is caused't'o rotate clockwise to bring its rearwarolly extending arm into operation to raise a push bar, similar to bar 35, into the path of the function bail blade 36 which, when it is permitted to op= erate leftwardly, will cause bell crank I06 to pull down link I05 to rockthe platen frame l5 counterclockwise to bring its-stop I61 against the lower'stop'screw 163. Theplaiten frame l5is maintained in its shift or unsh'ift position by a spring actuated detent member I09 acting on a d'etent'rolle'r In Figs-.2, 3, and 4'is ill'ustratted the manner in which-the platen carriage '95 is connectedto the type carriage 54 so as to be lnovable therewith. As previously mentioned, the platen carriage '95 is slidably supported on rods '96 and 9 7. carriage 95 is provided witha'n eccentric stud H2 which is engaged by the forked end of a bar II3, the,

left end of which is secured to a member I", which in turn is secured by screws I I5 to the type carriage 64. As viewed in Fig. 4, the circular platen I6 is rotatably mounted on the platen carriage 95 by means of an eccentric means IIB. By means of the adjustment II6, the platen I6 is adjustable toward and away from the record material II to vary the clearance therebetween. To compensate for the effect of this adjustment upon the correct operative relationship between the platen and the type faces, rightward and leftward adjustment is also provided for the platen I6 through the instrumentality of the cocentric adjusting means H2 and H3. By means of the eccentric adjusting element IIZ the correct alignment of the printing point of the platen I6 with the type faces-I96 and I9! can be established.

The platen I6 is so positioned as to reduce to a minimum the obstruction of the projected image by the platen. To achieve this result the platen I6 is tilted with respect to the record material I'I sufficiently to clear the light cone. The peripheral surface of the platen I6, upon which printing is effected is slightly beveled so that in one of the shift positions of the platen the p ripheral surface of the platen will be parallel to the record material. In the present embodiment of the invention, the peripheral surface of the platen I6 is parallel to the record strip when the platen frame I5 has been shifted to the upper case position, as indicated in Fig. 2 by the dotted line I II of the platen I6.

To compensate for this arrangement of the platen I6, the type faces I98 and I91 on the type bar I49 are arranged as shown in Fig. 5. Moreover, this arrangement of type faces in cooperation with a shield II8 serves to prevent smudging during the printing operation. The shield H8 is vibrated into operativeposition in accordance with the shift position of the platen I6 by the ribbon vibrating lever H9 in the manner shown in the aforementioned copending application.

Associated with the platen I6 is a platen rotator I2I for automatically changing the printing point of the platen IS in response to each carriage return operation. In response to a carriage return signal the carriage 64 and platen 95 are returned quickly to the beginning-of-line position, whereupon the platen I6 slides and rolls on the rotator I2I so as to change the printing point. In other words, through the instrumentality of the platen rotator I2I the platen I6 is controlled in such manner as to reduce to a minimum the number of times any particular printcarriage supporting a plurality of pivoted type bars movable in printing toward a common locus, guide rails disposed'in the direction of movement of said carriage, a platen carrier slidably supported on said guide rails, a rotatable platen mounted on said carrier, said platen comprising an inverted conical frustum, said frustum tiltably positioned so that its peripheral surface adjacent said common locus is in a vertical plane, means for connecting said carriage with said platen carrier, eccentric means for varying the 7 spacial relationship between said peripheral surface and a predetermined vertical plane, and eccentric means operative atthe point of articulation between said platen carrier and said carriage and effective as a consequence of the operation of said first mentioned eccentric means for effectuating a realignment between said common locus and said peripheral edge, whereby proper coincident printing relationship between said type bars and said platen is reestablished.

2. In combination, a printing device having a carriage movable to form character spaces, said carriage supporting a plurality of pivoted type bars moving in printing toward a common locus, guide rails disposed in the direction of. movement of said carriage, a platen carrier slidably supported on said guide rails, a rotatable platen mounted on said carrier, said platen comprising an inverted conical frustum, said frustum tiltabl positioned so that its peripheral surface adjacent said common locus is in a vertical plane, means for connecting said carriage with said platen carrier, eccentric means for varying the instant of impingement of said type bars on said surface, and eccentric means operative at the point of articulation between said platen carrier and said carriage and effective as a consequence of the operation of said first mentioned eccentric means for effectuating a realignment between said common locus and said peripheral edge, whereby proper impinging relationship between said type bars and said platen is reestablished.

DONALD P. NEEDHAM. JACQUES sTUssI. 

